Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how I use and protect any information that you give to me during our interactions.
I am committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should I ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using my services, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this Privacy Notice.
Personal Information I will Collect
Personal information that I may collect about you is as follows:
- Name
- Age
- Date of Birth
- Occupation
- Address
- Telephone number (including permission to send text messages and leave a voicemail)
- Email address
- Counselling/psychological intervention history
- Relevant medical conditions
- Prescribed medication
- GP name, address, and telephone number
- Next of kin name and telephone number
- Session notes
How I Store our Information
To store your personal information, I mainly use a GDPR-compliant encrypted cloud-based professional software system called WriteUpp. Any information that I may record on paper will be scanned and uploaded to this system and then shredded immediately.
I may also store information on various electronic devices, such as a telephone number or text messages on a password protected business mobile phone or email account. These will be deleted within one month of our final counselling or hypnotherapy session.
Information is stored for 5 years before being permanently erased.
It should be noted that I use an accounting software system that I generate invoices from. When you pay by BACS some basic information is stored in the generation of the invoices (name, address and email address) and your name will also appear on my bank statements. Payments to me in this way will also show up on your own bank statements. This information will also be available to my accountant or should I need to produce bank statements for anything during my personal life. Payment by cash would be the only way of avoiding this – please let me know if you would prefer to pay by this method.
Records are accessible (with some safeguards) to clients at their request. Kelly Porch Counselling and Hypnotherapy (KPCH) is also registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (Registration Number ZA195215 – certificate available on request).
When I Will Share Your Information
Everything you tell me will be confidential in most circumstances. However, there are some exceptions to this: -
Prevention of Harm
If I feel at any point that you or someone else is at significant risk of danger, I may have to share information
Legal Requirements
If I am ordered by a court, I will be required to share information about you. It is therefore essential that you inform your counsellor of any forthcoming court case that you may be involved in. There are also requirements to share information should you have any involvement in money laundering, drug trafficking, terrorism, or applicable aspects of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
Clinical Supervision
In accordance with guidelines set by the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS), National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) and the Association for Solution-Focussed Hypnotherapy (AfSFH), I receive regular clinical supervision where I discuss my clients with a qualified clinical supervisor to ensure that I am working safely and professionally. If my work with you is discussed, I will only use your first name. Furthermore, my supervisor will have access to your basic contact information should I become incapacitated in the form of a clinical will.
Teaching Practice
I own a counselling training centre, Northamptonshire Centre for Counselling Studies (NCCS). In order to provide those studying to become counsellors with authentic information about the counselling profession, information from my client sessions may be used. All information is completely anonymised ensuring that the individual cannot be identified.
Location-Based Services
If you have GPS tracking enabled applications on your mobile phone, Apple watch (or equivalent) or other device, it may be possible for others to identify that you ate attending sessions at KPCH. E.G. If you are attending the same place, at the same time on a weekly basis. You may wish to adjust your settings if you don’t want this to occur.
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Data Retention
KPCH will use email or text to communicate, re-arrange or cancel counselling/hypnotherapy. It is request that specific content related to our sessions is not emailed to me and I will not respond to this.
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Please note that any emails sent between us or any websites that you access are recorded and retained for a period by the Internet Service Provider (ISP) logs that we each use. Although highly unlikely, it is possible for the ISP to read the emails saved to the log.
Any emails between you and I also form part of the written notes that are compiled as part of your counselling relationship.
Social Media
KPCH has various social media accounts (Linked In, Facebook, Instagram) which you are free to ‘follow’ or ‘like’ but there are no expectations that you must do this. The accounts are mainly used to share inspirational quotes, useful articles and as a signpost to the KPCH website.
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It is your choice whether you comment on these accounts, but it must be borne in mind that others may conclude from your comments that you are having counselling/hypnotherapy, and this may compromise your privacy.
The accounts will not be used to answer any counselling queries, this must be done via the contact section of the website or by telephone. Also, KPCH will not accept and friend requests from current or former clients on their social media accounts.
KPCH won’t friend request or follow you either, as again this may compromise confidentiality.
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Business Review Sites
You may have come across KPCH via a business site such as Counselling Directory and Google My Business. Sometimes these types of sites allow users to add a review about a service they have received. I very much appreciate testimonials and reviews but you are not under any obligation to rate or endorse KPCH. If you do submit a review, you should bear in mind that these sites are public forums and any review or rating that you provide can reveal who you are.
Updated 13th September 2024